Beauty

Mineralize Blush Supernova, €23

MAC Heavenly Creature Blush

I'm always a bit wary about using blush. Some people love it but I've never found one that really suits me.

With naturally rosy cheeks I often find they come on too strong, no matter how much I’ve blown off the brush before I apply. Others I’ve tried have been too hard to blend so I have ended up with that awful looking, unblendable stripe of colour across my cheeks.

When it came time to test the MAC Mineralize Blush (€23), part of their Heavenly Creature colour collection, I was apprehensive as always but the fantastic presentation of the product had me eager to test it out.

I tried out the Supernova shade and I found it suited my skin tone very well. While the initial appearance of the blush grabbed me because the colours and the way they are mixed is beautiful to look at, I wasn’t sure how they would appear on my actual face. The magenta part is VERY magenta so I was worried it would come out too pink but the burnished gold really tones it down and the two colours work together to create a light blush that really works.

What I loved about this blush is that it goes on very lightly allowing you to put on as many layers as you like to suit your own needs. It also spreads very well so you don’t need to use too much of it.
The blush itself is very soft which allows easy blending, making it virtually impossible to be left with an obvious blush line.

There is a very fine line between a light shimmer and something that appears overly glittery but thankfully this blush leaves only a soft shimmer that subtly brightens your complexion. I applied the blush first thing in the morning and it lasted, without retouching, until I had to take my make up off before bed so I was impressed!

There are three other shades of Mineralize Blush in this collection, each with two complimentary tones, so there is sure to be a shade to suit us all.

Mineralize Eye Shadow – Magnetic Attraction

The also tried out the Magnetic Attraction Mineralize Eye Shadow (€20.50) which consists of orange, pink and gold swirled together in what looks like a colourful galaxy in a pot. Seriously loving how this collection looks, it’s just so pretty.

As with the blush, the eye shadow applies very lightly and is easily layered to allow you to go as drastic or understated as you like.
With the ultra shimmery texture, you can use this eye shadow to subtly brighten and open up your eyes, or go for a more layered and dramatic approach. Day or night, this eye shadow is your friend.

A girl seriously within an eye shadow comfort zone may be thrown when confronted with pink and orange, but I guess you don’t know until you try. And I’m glad I tried. The three colours work together to create something totally wearable and while each add to the overall effect, no one colour is overly prominent.

The first day I tried out this eye shadow I found it didn’t look quite as great on my eyes as it does in the pot, it didn’t have that wow factor and by the end of the day most of it had worn away.
Using a little bit of eye shadow primer on the second day made the world of difference; it really brought out the colours and the eye shadow lasted into the night. If you don’t have primer at home a similar effect can be achieved by wetting the eye shadow before application as this will concentrate the colour.

Being such a lover of more neutral tones I decided to mix Magnetic Attraction with one of my favourite dark brown eye shadows. This was my favourite way to wear it as I kept the comfort of the brown but with an extra dimension of pinky-gold shimmer that I really liked.

In terms of range, there is a great selection of eye shadows in this collection and I would recommend trying some of them out. Remember to use primer if you can though as without it you won’t get the most from your eye shadow and when you’re paying for a high quality product you want it to come out looking its best.

Sinéad Brennan

The MAC Heavenly Creature Range -Available at MAC counters for 8 weeks from July 2012